Improvement in rotary engines



D. D. HARDY 8L A. C. WEST. Improvement in Rotary-Engines.

No. 126,203. PatentedApri130,1s72.

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UNIE "rA'rEs rrronc DEXTER D. HARDY AND AUGUSTINE C. WEST, OF DELAVAN,ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 126,203, dated April30, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DEXTER D. HARDY and AUGUsTINn O. WEST, both of thetown of Delavan, in the county of Tazewell and the State ofIllinois,have invented aRotary Steam- Engine and do hereby declare thatthe following is afull, clear, andexact description thereof, referencebeing had to the annexed drawing making a part of this specification, inwhich like letters of reference refer to like parts, and in which-Figure l represents an elevation, the cylinder-head removed; Fig. 2, avertical cross-section through a a a a, Fig. l, Fig. 3, a section ofexterior cylinder through b b b b, Figs. l and 5 5 Fig. 4, a section ofthe same through pockets77 on line c e e e, Fig. 5; Fig. 5, view orelevation of exterior cylinder, the interior cylinder removed, Fig. 6,perspective view of eccentric, Fig. 7, perspective view of interiorcylinder; Fig. 8, cross-section of latter through lines c c c c, Fig. 7Fig. 9, tranvserse section of eccentric through line f f in Fig. 6.

Itespecting the scale of drawing, the engine can be made of any size.

This invention consists in so arranging and constructing the severalparts of a rotary steam-engine as to obtain a uniformity of wearthroughout the machine. This we accomplish by placing within theexterior cylinder a cylinder eccentric to the exterior one, therebyleaving a crescent-shaped space for steam surrounding the periphery ofthe interior cylinder, which space is divided int four compartments bypiston-blades, radial from the latter, and held against its iiatsurfaces. The space thus divided is constantly enlarged on one side, anddecreased on the other side of a line passing through the throw of theeccentric, and so arranged as to admit and cut off and work steamexpansively by ports passing from a double steam-duct throughtheeccentric, and from thence through alternate ports in the interiorcylinder into the steam-space.

A represents the exterior cylinder, closed at either end, and hungconcentrically on a horizontal shaft, E, which revolves with it. It hasan interior cylindrical space concentric with the shaft E and steam-ductD, and four equidistant radiating pockets for the pistonblades al a2 a3a4 in the solid periphery, and

of the respective pistons.

opening into the interior, the ends of said pockets passing laterallybeyond the interior surface of each cylinder-head, and the ends closedby plates e c, &c. (See Figs. 4 and 5.) The piston-blades a1 a2 a3 a4are each in a plane passing through the axis of the cylinder. Thosepiston-blades opposite to each other are respectively united and made tomove together by connecting-bars, F, on the exterior of the engine,crossing each other at right angles, and respectively attached to thecross-heads G, terminating the stems b b b b The stems pass from theblades and pocketthrough a stuffing'- box and plate, d, &c., one .ofwhich covers each pocket. The piston-blades fit their pockets, and arethick oblong plates, which extend beyond the ends of the two cylinders AB, and are kept continually in contact with their respective planes 0rilats of the cylinder B by the rods G G. This exterior cylinder isclosed by thehead A A, a section being seen in Figs. l, 2, and 4. B isthe interior cylinder, which extends horizontally between the exteriorcylin-v derheads, and in width occupying about three-fourths of thediameter of the interior of the exterior cylinder A, so adjusted witheccentric77 G as to nearly touch one side of the curved interior ofcylinder A, (see Fig. 1,) leaving the rest as a steam-space. It is madein two divisions or rings, w y, separated by springs o, or other elasticmeans, as steam, &c., to press each half against its respectivecylinder-head. A ring or hoop, x, lying in a groove at the junction ofthe two divisions w y, makes the joint steam-tight, and also pre servesthe integrity of the whole cylinder. The latter is flattenedlongitudinally, with four equal and equidistant planes along its length,as seen in Figs. 1 and 7; and four eqnidistant radial steam-ports, z z zz, are pierced through each of the curved surfaces down to the ports inthe included eccentric cylinder C. C, a

solid, cylindrical, stationary eccentric cylinder, terminating andfastened to the end of the steam-duct D it entirely fills the interiorof the cylinder B, which revolves upon it. Two steam-ports (inductionand eduction, at pleasure of the engineer) communicate with the pipe Dand the respectivev passages in the same, each porthavin g anopeningwide enough to supply two of the ports in the cylinder B at oncewith steam, the. others at such time serving as exhausts. D is astationary steamduct and shaft, divided by a partition7 t', throughoutits length, but closed at the end next to the shaft E, and havingopenings Z k through its inclosing eccentric C. It is supported on thevoutside of the engine in bearings H, in which may be passages, and avalve to supply steam and reverse the engine. The partition i lies inthe same plane as that of the throw of the eccentric; one of thepassages thus formed constitutes the induction and the other theeduction ways, and vice versa in re?" lplanes of said cyhnder) traversea space on versing the engine'.

The operation of this rotary-engine is as follows: The steam entersthrough port k, (see Fig. 9,) from duct D, or at one or the otherpassages of the same'through the eccentric C, which ports, k and l, haveopeningsV wide enough to supply two adjacent ports, z z, of the cylinderB at one time; from thence, z z, the steam passes into the steam-spacebetween piston-blade a4 and a3, and also between a3 and a2, exerting itsforce upon the pistons a3 and a2 simultaneously, carrying them beforeit, and, consequently, the exterior cylinder and the interior one, B,the latter moving with the former. It will be seen that the steam actsthus, by its constant effort in expanding, to arrive at the largest partof the steamspace along the continually opening curves of thest'ean1-space, until the ports arrive over the exhaust-port on the otherside of the eccentric C. There are thus always two ports open to receivesteam, and two open to exhaust the same through the interior cylinder B,which plan obtains in the model and drawing, but' can be modied, andwith, possibly, some ad'- vantage. The t'w'o ports tothe left of thosementioned above as induction-ports are the exhaust-ports, and 1n theirturn will become lconnected by the exterior rods GG, Svc., keeps them inclose contact with the interior cylinder B, and their contact surfaces(with the said planes identical with the throw of the eccentric G, andthis contact of the pistons with the planes on the cylinder B is themeans by which the latter is rotated in unison with the exteriorcylinder.

What we claim as our invention isl.,In a rotary steam-engine we claimthe eylin der B, composed of two or more rings pro# vided withsteam-ducts, in combination with elastic springs V, substantially as setforth.

2. The eccentric G, or axis of the cylinder B, iixed eccentrica-Hy onthe steam-duct D, and stationary with the same, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

3. The combination of cylinder B, eccentric 0,`and steam-duct D with theexterior revolving-cylinder A provided with piston-blades a, allconstructed to operate substantially as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoiu g rotary steam-engine we havehereunto set our hands this 24th day of November, 1871.

DEXTER D. HARDY. 4AUGUSTIN E C. WVESI.

Witnesses:

EDMUND THURLow, M. D. BEECHER.

